Sleep On It
by Jez1
Summary: Meredith has abandonment issues. What if these issues were more serious than Derek realized? MerDer
1. Chapter 1

SEASON/SEQUEL: Set season 3, following 'Six Days Part 1' (see notes)

SPOILERS: Season 3, 'Six Days'

SUMMARY: Meredith has abandonment issues. What if these issues were more serious than Derek realized? (Mer/Der)

DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognizable characters and places are the property of the ABC and Shonda Rhimes. This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment not monetary purposes and no infringement on copyrights or trademarks was intended. Previously unrecognized characters and places, and this story, are copyrighted to the author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

AUTHORS NOTES: The snoring arc was meant for comic relief more than anything, I think. But what if we took away the story of George's dad? What if we made the arc a little more serious? I started this after seeing 'Six Days part 1' so ignore part 2. I just felt they could have brought up Meredith's abandonment issues at a better time, where we could delve a little deeper. Here's my idea on it.

Copyright © Jez, February 2007.

--o0o--

Meredith yawned as she followed behind Bailey, hoping rounds were almost over. She was exhausted and wondered how long it would be before she'd get a chance to sneak off to one of the on-call rooms and take a nap.

"What's the matter? Sheppard keep you up all night playing doctor?" Alex asked, smirking at her.

"What, are you jealous?" Cristina retorted.

"Well I certainly couldn't be jealous of you, seeing as you're still not talking to your boyfriend," he replied, with a shake of his head.

"You and Burke still aren't talking?" Izzie asked.

"Are you thumb suckers coming or are you gonna stand there and gossip all day?"

They scurried after her, Cristina sniping at Izzie, while Alex went back to teasing Meredith.

"Ah, if it isn't Doctor Bailey and her band of merry interns."

Meredith looked up at the sound of Derek's voice.

"Doctor Shepard," Bailey greeted curtly, before turning. "Who's presenting?"

George stepped forward. "Ah, Edith Merriman, thirty-two. Scheduled for removal of a tumor on the temporal lobe later today. Overnight labs were good and the slight increase in white cell count has dropped back down to normal levels."

"That means I can have the surgery today, right, Doctor Sheppard?"

"It does indeed, Mrs. Merriman. Now, do you have any questions for me?"

Meredith tuned out while the patient started asking questions. She watched Derek, scanning his face for any signs of tiredness. He didn't look tired, but then she'd made a point of staying awake the night before, knowing he had a heavy day ahead of him and needed his rest.

"Grey, are you with us?"

Meredith was shaken from her thoughts and realized that they were moving on. Derek shot her a curious look, but she just smiled at him and headed out of the room. She cursed herself. She didn't need Bailey riding her about being distracted and she didn't need Derek asking questions.

"All right, O'Malley, you're with Sheppard. Karev, Doctor Montgomery has requested you're presence. Stevens, you're with Doctor Sloan and Yang, you're with me." Bailey turned to look at Meredith. "You're in the pit, Grey. You think you can get your head out of the clouds?"

"Of course, Doctor Bailey."

The interns headed off to their assignments. Meredith sighed. The pit could be a good thing or she could be run off her feet all day. Knowing her luck, she was bound to have the latter.

* * *

It was five hours later when Meredith finally had a chance to catch her breath.

"Take a break before you go back into the pit," Doctor Hahn advised her. She touched Meredith's arm, as she went to move off. "You did good, Grey," she assured her. "Sometimes they're just too far gone by the time we get to them. That guy didn't stand a chance."

Meredith nodded and murmured her thanks. It was always hard losing a patient, but it hit a little harder this time. She was exhausted. While that wasn't uncommon for an intern, she was more exhausted than normal. What if she'd been too slow? Missed something that could have saved that man's life?

She heaved out a sigh and pinched the bridge of her nose. She knew that wasn't true and she hated how she was second guessing herself. She had to do something, she couldn't go on with no sleep or she really would make a mistake.

"Make sure his dressings are changed."

Meredith looked up at the voice and saw Mark Sloane handing a chart over to one of the nurses. She hesitated only a second, before heading his way. "Doctor Sloan?"

He turned and the McSteamy face made an immediate appearance. "Meredith Grey. I was starting to think you were avoiding me."

Meredith frowned. "What?"

"Ever since you and Derek got back together, I've barely seen you. What, he think I'm gonna steal you away if you get too close?" He grinned and leaned in closer. "Or are you just worried you won't be able to keep your hands to yourself if we're alone?"

She sighed. "You know what, just forget it." She turned on her heel, only to feel his hand grasp her elbow.

"Now, come on, you know I was only joking," he cajoled. "What did you want?" he asked.

"It doesn't matter," she insisted, pulling away slightly.

"It obviously does, or you wouldn't have broken the self-imposed no-go-zone to talk to me." He crossed his arms and moved so he was standing in front of her. "So, what can I do for you, Doctor Grey?"

Was it worth the hassle of having to deal with Mark? She sighed, yes, it was. "I need a consult," she told him.

He nodded. "Okay, lead the way."

She hesitated. "It's me." He frowned at her and she sighed. "The consult is for me."

His frown deepened and Meredith could see concern cross his face. "Is everything all right?" he asked, his hand reaching out to touch her arm. "Are you sick?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Do you really think I'd be talking to a plastic surgeon if I was sick?" she asked.

He grinned and nodded. "Excellent point. So, what can I help you with? Breast implants?" He scanned her body. "You certainly don't need lypo, though I guess I'd need to investigate a little closer to be sure--"

"I don't need implants!" she cried. She looked around quickly, realizing she'd said that a little loud.

"No, you most certainly don't," he agreed. He held out a hand. "Come on, let's go in here and you can tell me what I can do for you."

He led her into an exam room and told her to sit on the bed. She wrung her hands, feeling more nervous than she should. She was a doctor, she shouldn't be nervous, but the rational thought didn't stop her heart from galloping in her chest.

Mark pulled up a rolling stool and moved to sit in front of her. "What's going on, Meredith?" he asked. His voice was soft, almost gentle and it reminded Meredith of the tone one might use to soothe a spooked animal.

She sighed. "Apparently, I snore. Which hasn't been a problem for almost thirty years, but now seems to be driving my boyfriend out of my bed and onto the couch."

She waited for the laughter or at least a smirk and was surprised when it didn't come. "You should really be speaking to an otolaryngologist. This isn't my area of expertise."

"I just thought you'd be able to do it. You know an uvulopalatopharyngoplasty or something."

"Have you thought about non-invasive answers?" he asked. "A dental mouthpiece or even C-pap?"

"I'm not going to look like some freak with a mask over my face every time I go to bed. Nor do I want to have to remove some oral contraption before I can kiss my boyfriend good morning. I just want it stopped, Mark."

He paused, head tilted to the side as if he were considering her request. "Okay. I'll need to do some tests, get some films and I'd like to consult with a friend of mine back in New York. He's one of the best ear, nose and throat specialists in the country. I'd also like to talk to Derek."

Meredith blanched. "What? Why do you want to talk to Derek?"

"I'd like to talk to him about when and how you snore. It'll help us decide how best to treat this."

"Like he'd know, he doesn't stick around long enough," she muttered. She felt herself blush as she realized she'd said that aloud. "I, uh, I don't want him to know I'm doing this."

"Don't you think he's going to notice when his girlfriend's in hospital having surgery?" he pointed out.

She shook her head. "I'll think of something. I just don't want him to know until he has to."

He didn't look convinced, but simply nodded. "Okay." He pulled out his penlight. "Now, open wide and say 'aah'", he joked.

She rolled her eyes, stuck her tongue out and did as she was told, feeling slightly better than she had in days.

* * *

TBC

I'd love some reviews, this is my first GA story.


	2. Chapter 2

Here's the second part. Don't forget this is after 'Six Days: Part 1' and anything in part 2 (particularly Derek's rather casual and I think cruel mention of surgery) needs to be ignored.

* * *

Derek rubbed his eyes as he scribbled down some notes on a chart. His last surgery had been tough and had left him feeling drained. A cup of coffee was what he needed. Perhaps he'd find Meredith and see if she had time to join him.

"Where is she?"

Derek blinked and turned to find Bailey standing behind him. Her hands were fisted on her hips and her glare was enough to melt ice. He frowned, he was pretty sure he hadn't done anything to piss her off recently. "Excuse me?"

"My intern, what have you done with her?"

"I don't know what... O'Malley's with me today," he reminded her, confused.

She shook her head. "I'm talking about Grey. You know my intern that you have a habit of screwing with?"

His frown deepened. "Meredith? I haven't seen her since rounds this morning."

"Well no one's seen her for more than half an hour. When she goes missing, it normally has something to do with you."

He held his hands up, palms out in surrender. "I can assure you it wasn't me. I was just about to find her, actually."

She didn't look convinced. "Well if you do see her, would you remind her that this is a hospital and she has a job to do?"

He nodded. "Of course."

She gave him a curt nod and turned on her heel, marching off in the opposite direction. Derek rubbed his chin and wondered about his girlfriend. It wasn't like her to disappear in the middle of a shift. She had looked tired this morning, perhaps she was grabbing a nap somewhere.

He checked the on-call rooms first, before he started asking nurses. On his third enquiry, he was directed to one of the exam rooms. Curious, he headed to the room and pushed open the door. The scene that greeted him made his heart stop. Meredith was lying on the bed, while Mark sat next to her, a hand on her arm.

"What the hell...?"

Two faces snapped around to look at him. Meredith quickly turned away, but not so fast that he didn't see the tears streaking her face. "Meredith?" he questioned.

Mark sighed and slipped off the side of the bed. "I'm just gonna go check your films and labs, okay?"

Meredith nodded, her head still turned away. Mark nodded to Derek on his way out, but didn't say anything.

"Mer?" Derek asked again, walking closer to the bed. His gut felt tight, the words 'films' and 'labs' reverberating in his brain. Why would Mark be running labs on Meredith, unless... "Meredith, look at me," he told her. "What's going on? Why is Mark running labs? Did you find a lump in your breast? Do you think you have--?"

Her eyes widened. "What? No! No lump, no cancer," she assured him.

He felt himself deflate in relief. "Then what's going on?" he asked. He sat himself on the bed, where Mark had just vacated, and took her hand. "Why have you got Mark running labs?"

She shook her head. "I should go, I've been off the floor way too long."

"What?" he asked, shocked at the evasion. "Are you kidding me? You can't just..." He took a deep breath. "I want you to tell me what's going on."

She sighed and looked away. "I asked Mark to fix my snoring."

He was absolutely stunned. "You what? I mean, seriously? It's not even his area of expertise. Besides, you don't need--"

She cut him off. "I want Mark to perform an uvulopalatopharyngoplasty."

He felt like a fish out of water, his mouth opening and closing. "You can't be serious! You want to have surgery _voluntarily_?"

"It's no big deal. He'd just go in and remove some excess tissue from the back of my throat and--"

"I know what it is!" he snapped. "I just can't believe you would be so stupid as to let him do that to you."

Her eyes flashed in anger, but Derek could see the pain there. "Well I can't believe you would rather sleep on the couch than with me," she retorted. "So I guess that makes us even." She all but leapt from the bed, easily evading his grab for her and storming out of the room.

Derek ran a hand over his face and through his hair. He couldn't believe it. He could not believe that she had asked Mark Sloan to help her stop her snoring. Why hadn't she said something to him? He would have helped her go through her options, found someone - anyone other than Mark - to help her, if that was what she wanted. He had to admit he would love to find something to stop her snoring, but there had to be something less extreme than going under the knife.

He shook his head. He knew a guy back in New York, he'd give him a call and ask him his opinion. He was one of the best ear, nose and throat specialists in the country. He'd certainly know more than Sloan did.

He headed out of the exam room and immediately spotted the source of his anger standing at the nurse's station. "No way!" Derek growled, as he neared Mark. "There is absolutely no way she is having surgery."

Mark glanced up from the chart, but his face didn't change as he looked at Derek. "Don't you think that's up to her?" he asked.

"I'm not letting you cut her open just to get back at me."

Mark's face darkened and he stepped forward. "You think this is about you?" he asked, a note of incredulity in his voice. "You really are an egotistic bastard, Derek. This is about my friend--"

"She's not your friend!" Derek snapped.

"-- my friend," Mark repeated, "coming to me and asking me for help. It's about her being scared to death of losing her boyfriend because he can't handle her snoring."

Derek felt like he'd been punched in the gut. "What? I would never... how could she think... it hasn't even been that bad over the last week," he finally finished.

"That's because she's hardly slept this last week. She's so worried that you'll get out of bed and leave her alone that she's been making herself stay awake. She's been grabbing catnaps in the on-call rooms every chance she gets." He shook his head. "She's a mess, Derek, and if I can help her, I will."

"God," Derek ran a frustrated hand over his face. "How in the hell did it get to the point that she thinks she has to have surgery?"

Mark shrugged. "The same as it is for a lot of my patients. They think that fixing a physical flaw will be enough to change an emotional problem."

"You think this is my fault," Derek accused.

"I think it's obvious that you devastated her when you left her for Addison and she's not yet convinced that you won't leave her again." He shook his head. "I mean, seriously, Derek, I know you're a light sleeper, but you can't wear ear plugs and stay in bed with her?"

Derek felt his jaw clench. "God, I have the urge to hit you right now," he muttered.

Mark smirked. "The chief might have a problem with that, not to mention Meredith would probably kick your ass."

The image that provoked brought a smile to his lips. "Well, she'd try anyway." He sobered. "This isn't your area, Mark. I don't want her having surgery, not when there are other options. I want John Hawkins in on this."

Mark nodded. "So do I, which is why I've already put a call in to him." He patted Derek on the shoulder. "She's in good hands, Derek. I know I was at least partially responsible for you and Addi ending. That's always going to be there now. But I can do something to help you and Meredith."

Every other time Mark had mentioned their friendship and the affair, Derek had felt an immediate and all-consuming bitterness. Though it was still there, it was tempered this time, as he realized just how much he missed his friend. "You're on a strange road to redemption," Derek pointed out.

"I'll do what ever it takes," Mark assured him, no trace of humor.

Derek didn't rebuke him. "Let me know when you talk to Hawkins," he said instead.

"Will do, Buddy."

* * *

TBC

I hope you enjoyed this part and would appreciate reviews.


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you for all the reviews. Like I said before, this is my first GA fic so I really appreciate your support.

* * *

Derek wondered if Meredith was avoiding him because she was still mad, or if it was because she knew he wanted to discuss her crazy idea. Either way, he hadn't seen her for most of the afternoon. He'd been called into surgery a couple of hours ago and he knew he shouldn't be mad at a patient's misfortune, but it had prevented him from tracking down his wayward girlfriend.

"There he his."

Derek looked up and saw Cristina, Izzie, George and Alex heading toward him. From the look on their faces, he could tell they weren't happy. They came to a halt in front of him and stared him down in a manor Bailey would have been proud of.

"Can I help you with something?" he asked, aiming for casual.

"We heard you were making Meredith go under the knife," Karev said, blunt as ever.

He opened his mouth to protest, but Cristina beat him to it. "It's just a bit of snoring, what's the big deal?" Cristina asked.

He looked to George and Izzie. "Come on, you guys are her housemates. You can't tell me it doesn't bother you?"

"I can sleep fine with her in the room," Cristina told him.

Izzie shrugged. "I grew up next to a freeway. It really doesn't bother me."

"I kind of like it," George admitted.

Derek shook his head. "Excuse me? You like it?"

"Oh, please, Bambi was in love with her, nothing she did would bother him."

That stung and it must have shown on Derek's face, because Cristina grimaced and mumbled a half-hearted apology.

"It's nothing to do with that," George defended. "It's just that when I hear her snoring I know she's home, she's safe. After..." he glanced at Derek. "Well it was just good to know."

"The point is, she's not doing this for us," Izzie told him. "She's doing this for you."

"So you're the one who has to knock some sense into her," Cristina concluded.

He sighed. "And what do you suggest I do?" he asked.

"You mean besides staying in bed with her?" Cristina bit out.

"Merry Christmas," Alex muttered, shoving a package into Derek's hands. Derek looked down and saw it was a packet of ear plugs. "Now how about making her happy for a change?" Alex suggested, before stalking off. The others followed him, each shooting him a glare as they left.

Derek sighed and looked down at the ear plugs. Could it be that simple? He'd happily put plugs in his ears if it meant he could cuddle up to Meredith all night, but he had a feeling that fixing this wouldn't be quite so simple. If Mark was to be believed, she hadn't been sleeping and she was so scared of losing him she was willing to have invasive surgery to try and keep him in her bed.

_I'm a girl with abandonment issues..._

He ran a frustrated hand through his hair. God, she hadn't been kidding, had she? By going back to Addison, he'd done nothing but show her that everyone she loved left her. How could he show her that he would never leave her again?

He saw a flash of blonde hair out of the corner of his eye and looked up just in time to see the object of his thoughts quickly turning the corner ahead of him. "Meredith," he called, even though it was obvious by her hasty retreat, she was still avoiding him.

"Damn it," he muttered, hurrying after her. He wasn't going to let her get away again. It was time to talk. "Meredith!" he called, as he spotted her heading into the elevator. He picked up the pace, all but running to catch the closing doors. He slid in just in time and he could see Meredith's shoulders fall as she realized she was stuck.

Her chin jutted out slightly as she glared at him. "I'm trying to avoid you," she told him.

He chuckled slightly and reached for the emergency stop button. "So I've noticed."

"Derek! What are you--" he cut her off with a searing kiss.

"I love you, Meredith Grey. I **love** you. I love everything about you and I wouldn't want you to change anything about yourself for me."

Her eyes, which had softened from his kiss, grew hard again. "So you don't want to sleep with me?" she asked. "You prefer sleeping on the sofa to being in my bed." She shook her head. "I'm doing this, Derek, whether you like it or not."

"Meredith, you don't _need_ this," he insisted.

"Yes, I do. I can't keep going on like this, Derek. I can't keep looking at you and wondering if I'm the reason you look so tired. I can't keep wondering if your fatigue might cost someone their life--"

"Mer--"

"--I can't keep wondering every time you move in bed if it's because you're about to get up and leave me alone again." She sniffled. "I wasn't kidding when I said I had abandonment issues."

"God, I'm sorry," he murmured, pulling her to him in a tight hug. "I'm sorry that I hurt you so bad that you can't trust me anymore."

She tried to pull out of his grasp. "What? Derek, I trust you."

He sighed, touching her cheek and then tangling a hand in her hair. "No, you don't and I understand why. I left you. I made the worst, most stupid mistake ever and I left you."

She opened her mouth to reply, but he placed a finger over it, silencing her.

"But, Mer, I'm going to spend the rest of my life proving to you that you can trust me. That I'm never going to leave you again."

The tears were sparkling in her eyes and he moved to kiss her. She dove into the kiss and Derek's heart felt lighter by the response. She wanted to trust him, of that he was sure.

He pulled back and looked at her. She was beautiful, but she wasn't happy and he knew it was up to him to make sure she was happy for every day of her life. "If you want this," he began. "If doing this will make you feel better, make you feel more secure, then I want you to know I'll support you." Her eyes brightened. "Just know that I'd never make you, that I don't expect you to do this and that I would never leave you because you snore."

Her smile was bright and she kissed him again. "Thank you."

* * *

I would have liked this part to be a little longer, but I wanted to get this out before I went away for the weekend. I'll be back Monday, so I'll get another update out when I return. If you're enjoying this, I'd love to hear from you. 


	4. Chapter 4

_Wow, how fabulous was the last episode? Sandra Oh deserves an award for her performance. Anyway, sorry for the delay and I hope you like this chapter._

* * *

Derek frowned as he looked at his beeper. Meredith had paged him and asked him to meet her in one of the exam rooms. He wasn't stupid enough to think he'd get a repeat of prom night, so he was curious as to what she wanted. He entered the room and found her seated on the edge of the bed, hands tightly clasped in her lap.

"Hey," he greeted. "What's up?"

"Ah, Derek, you're here," Mark said from behind him. Derek turned to watch as Mark closed the door before looking up. "Meredith wanted you here while we discussed her options," he explained.

"You talked to Hawkins?" Derek asked.

"I did." Mark pulled up a rolling stool in front of Meredith. Derek moved to stand beside the bed, his hand automatically moving to touch her.

"And?" Meredith asked.

"I know Derek has concerns with the surgery," Mark stated.

"I want this, Mark," she reminded him.

Mark nodded. "I know you do and Hawkins and I talked about some less invasive procedures that I would like to discuss with you."

"What kind of procedures?" Derek asked.

"The one I'd like to try is called somnoplasty. It involves using a low-intensity radio frequency signal to remove part of the soft palate. It's a fairly new procedure, but the results do look promising. The best thing is it's done with a local anesthetic and there's minimal discomfort following the procedure."

Derek was suspicious. "What are the risks?"

Mark shrugged. "The same as any outpatient procedure. Bleeding, infection, swelling has been reported more frequently, but not normally to an excessive level."

"And this will stop me snoring?" Meredith checked.

"The papers I read stated an eighty-six percent effectiveness six to eight weeks following treatment."

Meredith looked at him and he could see the hope shining in her eyes. "What do you think?" she asked.

"I think it's a far better option than the U-triple P." He touched her cheek. "Are you sure you want this?"

She gave an emphatic nod. He looked at Mark. "And you're sure you can do this?" he asked.

For once, Mark didn't look smug. "I wouldn't do it if I wasn't sure," he assured Derek.

"Derek?"

She was asking for his approval and something about that didn't sit right. "Mer, don't do this to please me. I love you just the way you are."

"Even when I snore like a chainsaw?" she asked, a small smile on her face.

He grinned back and touched her chin. "Even then."

The way her eyes shone told him that he had said exactly what she needed to hear. "I want to give this a try," she told him.

He nodded. "Okay." He looked to Mark. "When do you want to schedule this?"

* * *

Meredith and Derek took a seat at the table where her friends were waiting, thanking Joe as he placed a drink in front of them.

"I cannot believe you're going through with this," Cristina told Meredith. She turned accusing eyes to Derek. "And I can't believe you're letting her."

"It's her decision," Derek defended.

"But it's your fault," Alex muttered, before taking a sip of his beer.

Meredith looked around the table at her friends. "Guys, come on. It's no big deal and it's not Derek's fault."

"Oh, please. You've gone through your whole life blissfully unaware of your small, insignificant sleeping habit until McAss here opens his big mouth. Suddenly it's a big deal and you want to have surgery."

"Is it so wrong that I'd like my boyfriend to sleep in the same bed as me?" Meredith asked.

"What's wrong is that he got out of the bed to start with," Alex retorted.

Derek drained his beer and got to his feet. "You know what, I think I'm just going to go and let you guys talk about me behind my back."

Meredith grabbed his arm. "Derek, no." She turned to face her friends and glared. "Would you guys stop? It's not Derek's fault that I snore. Nor is it his fault that he's a light sleeper and I keep him awake." She got to her feet. "I'm doing this and I don't think it's too much to ask for a little support from my friends." That said, she turned on her heel and stalked from the bar.

"Meredith." She was already out the door when Derek caught up to her.

"What?" she snapped. He raised his hands in defense and she sighed. "Sorry, it's just they can make me so mad sometimes."

"They care about you, Meredith. They're just worried."

She raised an eyebrow. "You're defending them?"

He shrugged. "I don't want to come between you and your friends." He kissed her. "Come on, we'll sleep at the trailer tonight."

She shook her head. "It's too cold tonight for you to sleep out in the hammock," she protested.

He pulled her to him, fitting her body snuggly against him. "I'm going to sleep in my bed, next to my girlfriend, and you're going to sleep as well." She looked away and he touched her chin, making her meet his eyes. "I'm serious, Meredith. No more staying awake. It's not healthy."

"So much for doctor-patient confidentiality," she muttered. "You need your sleep, Derek."

"And so do you. You're an intern, you can't afford to miss out on sleep." He pulled something out of his pocket and held it up for her to see.

She squinted and then smiled. "Ear plugs?"

He shrugged. "You never know, it might work." He kissed her. "Let's go and test them out, huh?"

Meredith smiled at him and let him lead her to his car.

* * *

_Thanks for the reviews, guys, I really appreciate your kind words. I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well._


	5. Chapter 5

I'm so sorry for the delay. Derek has been refusing to cooperate with me and wants to be all mushy. As such, writers block set in. In the end, he won so I'm sorry if this is overly sappy. Thanks for all the fabulous reviews. There'll be another small chapter to finish this off.

* * *

Derek cursed as he caught sight of the time. He'd promised Meredith that he would be there for her procedure, but had been called into emergency surgery. He scrubbed out as quickly as he could, before all but running out of the scrub room.

Derek burst in the room, just behind Mark. "Sorry I'm late," he panted, out of breath.

"That's all right, we were just about to get started," Mark replied. "Looks like you're off the hook, O'Malley."

Derek looked up and noticed Meredith was seated in a dentist-style reclining chair with George by her side. He felt an irrational burst of anger that George was there. Had they assumed he would be too busy and made sure someone was there? He shook his head, annoyed at himself. He almost hadn't made it and he wouldn't have wanted Meredith to be alone.

"I'll see you tonight," George told Meredith, giving Derek a nod as he left the room.

"I've already given Meredith the local," Mark told Derek. "You feeling nice and numb, Meredith?" he asked her.

"'An't feel a thin'," she mumbled back, making Derek smile at her attempt to talk.

"Okay, then we can get started. Meredith, what I need you to do is just relax and open your mouth."

She did as she was told and reached for Derek's hand. He took her hand in his, holding it firmly as Mark started with the procedure.

It was over quickly and when Derek checked his watch, he noticed only fifteen minutes had passed since he'd entered the room.

"Just sit there for as long as you need, Meredith," Mark told her, as he indicated the nurse start cleaning up.

"How's it look?" Derek asked Mark.

"Lesions look like they've all stayed subcutaneous. There's some redness, but that's to be expected." Mark pulled off his gloves and turned to Derek. "Are you taking her home?"

Derek nodded. "Yeah, the chief gave me the rest of the day off to stay with her."

"Good. There's going to be some swelling, but if she can't swallow, has difficulty breathing or there's sudden bleeding, bring her back immediately."

Derek smirked. "You realize we're both doctors, right?" he joked. "What about pain relief?"

"She should only need ibuprofen. Keep her head elevated, even when she sleeps." He smirked and lowered his voice. "And don't you dare tell her, but the snoring will be worse for a few days until the swelling goes down."

Derek shook his head and turned back to Meredith. "Ready to go?" he asked.

She nodded and he held her arm until he was sure she was steady on her feet. She paused by Mark and Derek tensed when she leant in to kiss him on the cheek. "Thanks," she whispered, smiling.

Mark grinned. "Us Dirty Mistresses have to stick together," he replied.

Derek shifted, uncomfortable by the exchange. "Come on, Meredith," he told her, but then paused. "Thank you," he told Mark.

Mark nodded and led them to the door. "Come and see me when you get in to work tomorrow, Meredith," he told her.

Derek wasn't surprised to find Bailey's remaining interns waiting for them when they left the room. They were still a little frosty towards him after their confrontation two days earlier, but they swarmed around Meredith, making sure she was okay.

"I'm fine, guys," she told them, her voice husky from the remaining anesthetic. "I'll be back at work tomorrow."

Izzie put a hand on Meredith's arm. "Well, you just go home now and rest and relax. Derek went out and bought a huge tub of strawberry ice cream last night, so go and enjoy it." She turned to Derek, her eyes narrowing a little. "And you, of course, will wait on her hand and foot," she commanded. "Every whim and desire is to be catered for." She turned to Meredith and pointed. "Except that one. No sex, you just had surgery."

"Yes, mom," Meredith replied, rolling her eyes.

Derek smiled and placed a hand on the small of her back. "Come on. Let's get you home."

* * *

Meredith had to smile. The sight of one of the country's foremost neurosurgeons playing nurse was something people would pay good money to see.

"Are you comfortable?" he asked, giving the pillows another fluff.

"Derek, I'm fine. You could go back to work, you know. You don't have to fuss."

He frowned. "I'm not going to leave you alone after you've had surgery," he told her. He smiled, moving to sit on the edge of the sofa beside her. "Besides, when was the last time you and I had an afternoon off together?" he asked.

She smiled at that. "What do you suggest?" she asked.

He smiled. "Firstly, how are you feeling? Is the anesthesia wearing off?"

She nodded. "Almost completely."

He touched her cheek. "You need any ibuprofen?"

"Derek--"

He cut her off. "Meredith, I still feel that I drove you to do this." He placed a finger over her lips, effectively keeping her quiet. "Let me look after you. I know that's not something you're used to, but it's something I want you to **get** used to. Because I will be here and I want you to be comfortable depending on me."

Her smile was hesitant, but genuine. "It's going to take some time to get used to that," she admitted. "I've never really depended on anyone before. Not since I was a little kid, anyway."

He nodded. "I know, and I know that didn't end well. But I'm not your father and I'm not your mother. I'm the man that loves you."

She smiled and placed a hand on his cheek. "You're turning into a sap, Derek Sheppard," she teased, needing to lighten the mood. She wanted to believe him, she really did, but after being hurt as many times as she had, she found it hard.

He returned her smile with a McDreamy grin. "Just don't tell anyone."

Maybe one day she'd believe him fully, but for now she was content with the fact that his need to care for her hadn't terrified her, like it normally would. The fear was there, as it always was, but it was tempered by the overwhelming need to just be with him. Maybe he would break her heart again, but right now she felt safe and that was a feeling that Meredith Grey hadn't felt in a very long time.

"Why don't you put a movie on?" she suggested. "Since you seem so intent on not letting me do anything, we can curl up on the couch together."

He grinned. "Sounds great."

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I'd love it if you could review.


	6. Chapter 6

Thanks for the reviews on the previous chapter. Glad people liked sappy Derek. :-) Here's the final chapter.

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The movie had only been on half an hour when Meredith fell asleep. Derek smiled to himself as her snoring started, slightly louder than usual. He really did think it was adorable - when he wasn't trying to sleep, anyway. She'd been sleeping better since their talk. So had he, with the help of the ear plugs Alex had given him. He still couldn't believe that the solution could have been so simple. Had he known, he would have bought them months ago and maybe then Meredith would never have felt the need to have surgery. He shook his head. Had it not been for her finding out, he never would have known just how much he'd broken her when he'd gone back to Addison. Left to fester much longer, who knew what could have happened between them.

He ran a hand over her hair and sighed. God, he loved this woman. He loved her in a way that he didn't know was possible. Why had he almost ruined everything out of a sense of obligation to Addison? Why had he broken the only person who made him feel complete? He hadn't been lying when he'd said he would spend the rest of his life proving to her that she could trust him. She was it for him, he was done. He would show her that happily-ever-after wasn't just for fairytales. He knew it would be hard getting her to believe that, but he would do it. Derek Sheppard was nothing if not persistent. He grinned a little as he thought back to how his persistence had finally gotten her to go out with him.

Meredith shifted against him and her snoring stopped. He looked down at the face resting against his chest and saw her grimace.

"Derek," she whispered, eyes still closed.

"You okay?" he murmured back.

"My throat hurts."

Derek felt a little lighter as he gently slid out from under her. She was still mostly asleep and it seemed that, subconsciously anyway, she didn't mind relying on him. That gave him hope. Sure, it was a small thing, but when it came to Meredith he'd take the small things.

He headed out to the kitchen, found the packet of ibuprofen and poured her a glass of cold water. As he headed back into the living room, there was a knock on the door. He frowned, noticing the small frame of Cristina Yang standing behind the glass.

"Aren't you in the middle of a shift?" he asked, when he opened the door.

She shrugged, entering the house. "I'm on a break and I just wanted to check on Meredith."

"Well I haven't broken her yet," he replied, a little of the hurt he still felt towards Meredith's friends coming out. The glare he got in response made him sigh. "She's okay. I'm just getting her some pain relief, but I'd really like her to rest more."

He turned his back on Cristina and padded back over to the couch. Meredith's eyes were still closed and her breathing was even, but there was no snoring, so she wasn't in a deep sleep. "Mer," he whispered, kneeling down beside her.

"Hmm?"

"I've got some ibuprofen for you."

She held her hand out and he placed the pills in it before helping her sit up and sip the water. The whole process was done with her eyes closed and Derek couldn't help but smile at her.

"Thanks," she whispered, as she lay back against the pillow.

"Get some more sleep," he replied.

She sighed and rolled her head towards him. "I love you," she whispered, on the cusp of sleep.

Derek felt the grin split his face and his eyes burn a little. It was the first time she'd told him that since they'd been back together. She may have been almost asleep, but that made her declaration that much better. This was Meredith's heart talking, without the fears and disappointments that made her so cautious.

"I love you too," he assured her, kissing her forehead as he got to his feet.

He turned and only then remembered that Cristina was still there. "You want something?" he asked, heading back into the kitchen.

She shook her head. "I got what I came for."

He sighed and turned to look at her. "I didn't want her to do this," he told her. "In fact we had a fight about it when she first told me." He shrugged. "But I want her to be happy, Cristina."

"And you think this is going to make her happy?" she asked. There was a note of incredulity in her voice.

"I think it'll help make her more secure," he amended. "But she will be happy," he vowed. "I'm going to make sure of that."

Cristina nodded. "She deserves to have a crap-free life for once."

Derek smiled a little. "Yeah, she does."

They looked at each other for a moment and Derek felt that they had both made a connection. They were united by the same woman and he knew that Cristina would do anything for Meredith. A moment later, Cristina looked away and shifted.

"Yeah, well I'm gonna go, before this turns into a Hallmark moment," she muttered, heading for the door. "I'll see you later."

Derek chuckled a little as Cristina left. They were an odd pair, Cristina and Meredith, but there was no doubting the friendship between them. He wondered if Meredith realized just how lucky she was to have people like her friends in her life. As he curled back up on the couch with her, he knew that they would be okay. It may take a while for her to realize that she no longer needed to be dark and twisty. She could leave her past behind and look forward to a happy future. Until then, he would be there to hold her together.

* * *

Meredith felt consciousness return slowly. The warm, even breath on the back of her neck told her Derek was still asleep, his arms holding her securely as he slumbered. She smiled a little, relaxing in his embrace. In the six weeks since the procedure, every time she had woken up he had been there, holding her. She'd laughed a little when he'd first started wearing the ear plugs, but he seemed to be sleeping well with them and she'd started back into the habit of sleeping through the night. In fact, she felt more rested than she had in years.

She felt Derek stirring, his arms tightening briefly around her and his lips brushing against her nape in an almost unconscious gesture. She turned, her lips immediately finding his in what was supposed to be a gentle good morning kiss. It quickly escalated into something more heated and as Meredith ran her hands over his face and up through his hair she stopped suddenly and pulled back.

"What?" Derek asked, breathless.

"Where are your ear plugs?" she asked, looking at his ear.

His look of confusion morphed into a pleased grin. "They're on the bedside table."

Meredith frowned. "You only just woke up. How could you have taken them out already?"

Derek moved forward and kissed her sweetly. "I didn't wear them last night."

"You didn't..." Suddenly she understood. "I didn't keep you awake?" she asked.

He shook his head. "I slept great."

She grinned. "Oh my God, it actually worked."

Derek nodded, smiling back at her. "It worked. No more ear plugs or medical procedures. Just you, me and this big, comfy bed."

She kissed him hard, pressing her body into him as his hands roamed across her back. As Derek removed her shirt, she realized she hadn't felt so light, so happy in a very long time. It was a feeling she could get used to. Then Derek's mouth left her lips and she stopped thinking at all.

THE END

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Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed the ride and I'd love to hear your thoughts.


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